ostensible
Americanadjective
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outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended.
an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.
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Rare. apparent, evident, or conspicuous.
the ostensible truth of their theories.
adjective
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apparent; seeming
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pretended
Other Word Forms
- nonostensible adjective
- ostensibility noun
- ostensibly adverb
- unostensible adjective
Etymology
Origin of ostensible
First recorded in 1730–40; from French, from Latin ostēns(us) , variant of ostentus ( ostensive ) + French -ible -ible
Explanation
When something is ostensible it appears to be the case but might not be. Your ostensible reason for visiting every bakery in town is that you're looking for a part-time job — but I think you really just want to eat cupcakes. Just because something is ostensible doesn't necessarily mean that it's not as it appears to be, only that there's a possibility of another reason. Your ostensible reason for calling your crush was to ask about homework; the real reason was that you were hoping they would ask you out. Ostensible derives from the Latin verb ostendere, meaning "to show or display."
Vocabulary lists containing ostensible
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This organization’s ostensible goal is to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026
President Trump loves to define his ostensible political achievements and goals with big numbers.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025
But notes of disillusion sound throughout this ostensible success story.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
But the movie is more effective as a grim, involving cop thriller than it is as an ostensible statement on the Order’s reverberations in the present.
From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2024
The word was blunder; and as Harriet exultingly proclaimed it, there was a blush on Jane’s cheek which gave it a meaning not otherwise ostensible.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
